


Melody and Anders

by Willowflower_Waterlily



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Implied Female Trevelyan/Cullen Rutherford, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:10:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4602801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowflower_Waterlily/pseuds/Willowflower_Waterlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders is rescued from a fate worse than death, and is given new purpose in the Inquisition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Anders kneels in a dungeon chained to the floor. Battered and bruised he always knew it would come to this. With Justice gone, he is completely defenseless now. The Templars around him keep him perpetually silenced as they chant, their voices hauntingly beautiful as they sing, but none more so than the former Knight-Captain of Kirkwall.

Looking up through swollen eyes, Anders sees Cullen pulling the brand out of the forge. Anders braces himself for what is to come, his body trying to feel every emotion it can before they’re cut off forever.

The door slams open, and magic is cast on the Templars. Their chanting ceases as they are frozen in place. Cullen, still holding the brand standing within arm’s reach of him. Losing the last of his strength in shock, Anders falls backward into a woman’s arms. She gently embraces him, tears shining in her amber colored eyes.

“Bull, lock these bastards up while they’re still unable to move. I’ll deal with them later. Blackwall, take Anders up to my room.” She looks down at Anders again, caressing his face. “I am sorry for what they did to you. It will not go unpunished. You are safe now, rest.”

 

Glancing over at a still sleeping Anders, Melody turns her attention back to her advisers. “This can’t go unpunished. It would send the message that anyone can undermine my authority. Because Cullen was involved, we can’t quietly ship them off to the Hissing Wastes either.”

“We will set a trial for them.” Josephine writes a couple of quick notes before looking up at Melody again. “Who will become commander, and what will we do with Anders?”

“We should throw him back into the dungeon for what he did in Kirkwall.” Cassandra replies, cutting Melody off before she could speak.

“He will be invited to join the Inquisition. He is a skilled healer, and we could use a man of his abilities.” Melody folds her arms over her chest, glaring at Cassandra. “Yes, what he did in Kirkwall was awful, and innocent people suffered. What people don’t seem to remember is the good he did there too. The lives he saved, the mages he rescued from being made tranquil. I’ve read the report and spoke with Marian about what happened. He tried to do things peacefully at first. The Chantry is supposed to be there to mediate, and Elthina did nothing.”

“What about the demon in him? Are we to just let him wander around freely?”

“If he was still possessed, Anders wouldn’t have been captured so easily. Look at him.” Melody waves her hand in his direction. “He was beaten for who knows how long, and silenced. If Justice was still in him, it would have tried to protect him. There is precedence for spirit possession, and not punishing the possessed person after the demon has been destroyed.”

“Very well, who will you make commander?” Josephine asks, not looking up as she continues to write.

“I’m recalling Rylen, and promoting him. Until he arrives, I would ask Cassandra to be interim commander.” Melody shifts her gaze from Josephine to Cassandra. “I trust you will not make the same mistake Cullen did.” Cassandra and Josephine salute before being dismissed.

“What should I do, Inquisitor?” Lace Harding gives her a questioning look, tapping her fingers on the edge of the desk.

“If you could have people keep an eye on Anders and Cassandra, I would appreciate it, Lace.”

“To what end?”

“To protect Anders and to make sure I am not betrayed again. Dismissed.” Melody turns her back on her spymaster, letting her eyes wander over the books she collected over the years. When the door closes at the bottom of the stairs, Melody cries. She never expected this kind of betrayal. Not from Cullen. Melody thought she could trust him completely, that he was… Melody sighs, knowing it isn’t helpful to follow that train of thought. It doesn’t matter now. He destroyed the trust between them, and there would be no going back from that.

Drying her eyes, Melody sits down at her desk to start her mind numbing paper work, anything to distract her from what happened.

 

Returning to consciousness, Anders is unsure how he got out of the dungeon, or for how long he was out. Looking around the room, he marvels at how richly furnished it is. Someone high up in the Inquisition saved him from those Templars. Anders shudders, remembering how close he was to losing himself, to becoming a walking shell. Tears well up in his eyes, and he is thankful to be able to cry, to feel.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” The woman who saved Anders sits on the bed beside him. She looks him over with her amber colored eyes, twirling a strand of her brown hair around her fingers. “I am sorry for what happened to you. Had I known you were here, I would have tried to get to you first.”

“Why?” Anders stares warily at the woman, unsure what to expect.

“I want to thank you. Were it not for you, I would still be trapped in my gilded cage in Ostwick.” She casts a simple spell, smiling shyly at him. “I also want to offer you a position within the Inquisition. You are a talented healer, and we could use your skills.”

“Who are you? Won’t the Inquisitor be angry that you’re offering a murderer a place in the organization?” Anders’s mouth drops when she starts laughing.

“I can hardly get mad at myself.” Melody replies, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Forgive my rudeness. I am Inquisitor Melody Trevelyan.” Tilting her head to the side, she gives Anders an amused look. “If you don’t close your mouth, you’ll let flies in.”

“I accept your offer.” Anders gingerly sits up, holding his hand out to Melody. Smiling, she clasps his hand shaking it.

“I have some judgements to deliver. If you are feeling up to it, you may want to be in the main hall for it.” Anders watches her close her eyes, taking a deep breath, before leaving him to his thoughts.

 

Slipping into the main hall, Anders makes a mental note to never get on Melody’s bad side. Her eyes flash with rage, her hands trembling as she restrains herself. “You have two choices, the Western Approach or leave the Inquisition. If you choose to leave, you will be given a ration of lyrium that will last you a couple of weeks.”

Anders isn’t surprised when they all decide to go to the Western Approach. Having seen what going without lyrium can do to a Templar, it would have been madness to leave. He watches the guards remove the chains from the five men who attacked him. He takes a step backward, afraid that they might attack him. Four of the men leave, but Cullen stays.

“Melody let me explain.” Anders is surprised how informally he addressed his superior, how broken the former Templar sounds.

“You’ve already explained yourself quite well during the judgement.” Melody turns to face Cullen. Anders sees anger and pain in her eyes, before her expression closes up. “You betrayed the Inquisition. You betrayed me and my trust in you. There is nothing you can say that will change that, ever. I expect you and the other four men to be gone by third bell.”

Anders watches Melody walk away, and takes a step to follow her, but stops when a hand grabs his wrist. “Not a good idea, Blondie. Just leave her be for a while, she’ll be alright. Mels is a tough girl.”

“Okay, how do I get to the healers? I want to start working straight away.” Varric motions for Anders to follow, walking through the crowd of people still talking about the judgement and how far the Commander had fallen.


	2. Chapter 2

When Anders first begins to work with the healers, most people were hesitant at best. Though no one was openly hostile, it took a while for the people of the Inquisition to warm up to him. Anders was patient with them and in time, people came to him willingly to be healed. In his short time as a healer of the Inquisition, he’s done everything from patched up scrapes to delivered babies. To many he became part of their family. People smile and wave at him when they would have glowered at him or ignored him before.

 

Anders wipes the sweat from his brow, after having healed a child’s broken arm. He reflects on the weeks that passed since he agreed to join the Inquisition. Working from dawn to dusk every day fills him with a sense of peace that he’s never truly known before. That he can help, even if it’s in his own small way, is enough for him.

On the rare days he has off, Anders can usually be found in the garden. Tending to the plants was always one of the few things that had made him happy when he was in the circle tower. He stops for a moment, when he remembers that, clasping his dirt covered hands to say a prayer for Wynne. When he was young, she had become a mother to him, teaching him how to heal. Though she was a loyalist, she will always have a special place in his heart.  

Melody begins to visit him daily, when she is in Skyhold. She always brings a small lunch and tea with her, knowing that Anders frequently forgets to eat. At first they would sit in silence as Anders ate, but after a week or so, they begin to talk. Melody tells him about her past, how she became Inquisitor, and fighting Coryfeus and his army. She asks Anders about himself, what he had done after Kirkwall, and how he was finally able to separate from Justice. Anders never feels judged by Melody when he tells her his story, knowing that she won’t force him to talk about things he doesn’t feel comfortable talking about.

Anders starts to look forward to seeing Melody, missing her when she has to go away on Inquisition business. The thought of her makes his heart race. Anders tries to push thoughts of trying to court her out of his head. She’s a noble and he’s a no one, even if she spends time with him. They were just friends and that’s it.

The longer she’s away, the more he thinks about her. A longing fills him, an ache he forgot he knew how to feel. Throwing himself into his work, Anders tries to fill the emptiness forming in his heart with healing others and taking care of the garden.

 

“Lost in thought?” Melody’s soft voice startles Anders, making him fall backwards on to him bum. Her laughter fills his heart with joy. He turns to look up at her, and sees her smirking at him. “Have you been remembering to eat while I’ve been gone?”

Anders feels his cheeks heat up as he glances away from her. “I have remembered more often than I used to.”

“You’re blushing!”

Anders risks looking up to see that a flush has crept up her face.

“Were you thinking of me often? Was that why you would remember to eat?”

Anders jumps to his feet, trying to think of something, anything to deny that she’s rarely left his thoughts. It can’t be, it’s impossible to give in to these feelings, even with Justice gone. He looks around the garden frantically, hoping his expression wasn’t reflecting his inner turmoil.

Melody closes the distance between them, getting so close that Anders can feel her body heat radiating from her. He freezes in place, unsure if he should turn and run or embrace her.

Melody’s soft lips press against his, her arms embracing him. Melting into her, Anders lets go of every excuse he has to not fall for her. Wrapping one arm around her waist, Anders combs his fingers through Melody’s hair.

A loud cough makes them break their kiss. Melody turns and scowls at the glowering Chantry mother. After a wordless duel, the older woman retreats toward the room housing the shrine of Andraste.

Anders caresses Melody’s cheek when she turns back to him. He stares into her eyes, giving her a questioning look. “Is this what you truly want? You could have anyone. I am a nobody, with no future. Until you let me into the Inquisition, I was the most hated man in Thedas. If I leave Skyhold, there are still many who would cut me down or worse.” Shuddering, Anders pushes the memory of how close _or worse_ had been to becoming a reality. Fighting back tears, Anders opens his mouth to try to force himself to tell her she should pick someone else, but Melody’s voice stops him.

“I love you.” Nibbling on her lower lip, Anders sees vulnerability in Melody that he’s never seen before. Silence settles heavily between them as Melody stares at Anders expectantly. Frowning, she takes a step back, letting Anders’s hand slide away from her face. “If you don’t feel the same, at least say so. Just don’t give me use excuses for why you think I shouldn’t give my heart to you.” Melody’s eyes widen when Anders still can’t find the words to tell her what she means to him. He watches her walk away, the sadness that clouded her features stopping him from reaching out to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Spinning on her heels, Melody quickly walks away from Anders, for the safety of her room. Tears threaten to expose her pain as she berates herself for foolishly declaring her love to him. Having successfully made it past the nobles in the main hall, Melody starts crying as she runs up the many steps to her room.

Melody curls up on her sofa, her tears soaking into her trousers. The door at the bottom of the stairs in her room quietly opens and closes. Melody prays whoever it is will call out and if she remains silent, they will go away. When no one shouts up, Melody takes a few steady breaths before pulling her face away from her legs. Melody gasps when she comes face to face with Anders. Standing up, Melody walks past him, toward her desk.

“Come to let me down gently?” She asks, surprised at the bitterness in her voice. Melody turns around when he doesn’t answer her right away. Unable to read the expression on his face, she shifts her gaze to the floor in front of her. “Go on and get it over with. No excuses, just tell me you don’t feel the same and leave. I may be Inquisitor, but I’m still a woman damn it. This silence gives me hope. Don’t give me hope where there is none.”

Anders crosses the room in a few long strides. Melody stares at his feet, until he cups her face with his hands, gently directing her gaze up to his face. “I do love you.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Melody’s chin quivers as stray tears escape down her cheeks. Anders leans into her, kissing away the wet droplets on her face. Melody inhales sharply each time his lips touch her skin.

“It has been so long since I let myself love anyone.” Anders pulls away from Melody, avoiding looking into her eyes. “You know what it’s like in the circle. Then, after when I merged with Justice, I didn’t think I would be able to love anyone again. I had gone so long believing that I could never be loved, that when I was just me again…”

“You never thought it could change, because of Kirkwall.” Melody finishes for him, feeling like the most selfish woman in Thedas. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Anders holds her hands between his, squeezing them lightly. “I just want you to be sure. You know my past, and what many in Thedas think of me. I am still a Warden, my time is running out. It would break me to leave you, and if we have a child…”

“I can’t have children.” Melody interrupts Anders, her gaze drifting away from him. “I had another mage make me sterile when I was still in the circle. The Templars forced themselves on some of the women, and a few became pregnant. A couple couldn’t handle having their babies being taken away.” Melody hugs herself, shivering as she remembers the faces of the women who were made tranquil, their eyes blank and emotionless.

“I didn’t want that. I was one of the lucky ones, though.” Melody turns to look out at the mountains, taking deep breaths. “The circles rebelled before the Templar eyeing me could do anything.”

Anders wraps his arms around her, and Melody leans into his embraces, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “Do you want children?”

Shaking her head, Melody squeezes Anders. “I just want you. I know our time together will most likely be short, but any time I can have with you will be a gift. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Anders tightens his hold on Melody, making her smile. Closing her eyes, she breathes him in, wanting to memorize everything about him. A knock on the door loosens Anders arms around her, but tightens hers around him. “What if it’s one of your advisers?”

“So what if it is? I am not ashamed.” Melody listens to the heavy footfalls ascend the staircase, and come to a stop at the top.

“Ah, I see you’re busy.” Rylen observes, sounding nonplussed. “I can leave the report and come back later.”

“Thank you Rylen. We can discuss it later, at the meeting.” Melody extracts herself from Anders’s arms.

“Of course, Inquisitor,” Rylen salutes her. “May I speak freely a moment?” Melody nods, gesturing for him to continue. “You seem happy for the first time in a long time. I’m glad you found that happiness with someone.”

“Thank you Rylen.” Melody watches Rylen vanish as he walks down the stairs before turning back to Anders.

“See, that wasn’t so bad.” Melody grins at Anders. Slipping her fingers through Anders’s, Melody guides him to the sofa, motioning for him to sit down.

Anders sits, pulling her onto his lap. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he looks deeply into her eyes. “I want you to promise me that when I must go to the Deep Roads you won’t follow.”

“I promise,” Melody whispers, trying to swallow the lump forming in her throat. “Leliana said that the Hero of Ferelden is trying to find a cure. That she sent her a letter during the war. Maybe she’s close to finding it.”

Melody watches Anders close his eyes, his lips trembling. Leaning against him, she delicately kisses him.  Wrapping her arms around his neck as he tightens his embrace, they deepen the kiss. Melody tastes the saltiness of Anders’s tears on his lips and she fears for him. What if he isn’t telling her everything? What if he’s already hearing the calling? Tears well up in her eyes, and she tries to fight them down. Melody has to be brave for him, has to hope that a cure can be found in time.

Breaking the kiss, Melody starts to ask the questions that scare her when the door slams open. “Inquisitor, you are needed in the War Room immediately.” Rylen calls out to her. Melody frowns at Anders, leaning in to press another quick kiss against his lips.

“Wait for me?” Anders nods at her, nuzzling into her hand as she caresses his cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Melody dries her cheeks and hurries to catch up with Rylen, the sadness in Anders’s voice when he told her he loves her haunting Melody as she bounds down the steps.

 

Running up the steps, taking them two at a time, Melody feels a renewed happiness she never knew possible before. A cure, her heart screams. The Hero found a cure. Now Melody and Anders can have a future together. Reaching her room, Melody’s heart stops when she doesn’t see Anders waiting for her. A letter on her desk catches her eye. When she picks it up to read it, her legs give out from under her and she sinks to the floor. Tears blur her vision as she struggles to not break down.

 

_My Beloved,_

_I am sorry I did not tell you everything. I know that you wanted me to wait for you, but I couldn’t. I am already hearing my calling. I have been for a few weeks now. It is my time to go. I wish I had enough time for a cure for me, but it’s too late. I should have told you that I love you sooner. We could have, should have had more time together. Know that you have always been on my mind, since the first time you came to see me. And know that you will be all I think of, my last thought…_

_Please remember your promise to me, and do not follow. Live for me, and find another to love. It breaks my heart that it won’t be me._

_I love you more than I have ever loved anyone. Please forgive me._

_Yours forever, Anders_

The dam breaks, tears pouring from Melody’s eyes as the letter slips from her fingers. Curling up into a ball, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever feel whole again. Not when her heart has left her to die, all alone.


	4. Chapter 4

Pulling back his sleeve, Anders carefully touches the patch of tainted skin on his arm. He frowns, noticing it’s gotten larger overnight. Sighing, he trudges on, toward Orzammar, the song getting louder in his head the closer he gets. Anders doesn’t let it take over his thoughts completely, keeping a mental image of Melody in his mind.

He staggers to a stop when he thinks of what might have happened when she found his letter. His hand flies to his throat as he gasps for air, the lump that formed there making it hard to breathe. Anders wants to turn around, to run back to her, but he knows he can’t. His heart races at the thought of seeing Melody again, to hold her in his arms and never leave her. Looking down at his marred skin, he forces himself to move forward. She can’t see what he is to become, if he lives long enough to change.

Tears running down his cheeks, Anders beats himself up for both being selfish for telling Melody that he loves her and not telling her sooner. If he told her sooner, he could have given her some happiness. They could have been together for a little while at least. He shouldn’t have told her when he did, to give her his heart only to take it back… It’s his fault she’s hurting now, shedding tears for him. A last mark against his soul, piled on top of the destruction and pain he caused.

Coming to the end of his journey, Anders sees the final makers for Orzammar. _Today is the day I die,_ he thinks to himself, unable to stop the flow of tears flooding his cheeks. So lost in himself and his thoughts he doesn’t noticed the cloaked woman standing at the top of the stairs, smiling at him with crimson lips.

“I never took you to be this much of a coward, Anders.” The woman’s voice makes him jump. He grabs the railing to keep himself from falling backward down the steps. Looking up, Anders sees the woman pull her hood back. She walks down to him, her olive colored eyes filled with pity as she observes him. Reaching out to Anders, she embraces him, letting him cry on her shoulder.

“You should have stayed in Skyhold. Anders, you have no idea what you’ve done to Melody. When I found her, she was curled up on the floor, sobbing. She looked so lost, broken.”

Anders pushes Elissa away from him, angrily wiping his cheeks. “Why tell me this? I know the pain I caused her.” Lowering his gaze, Anders feels his guilt overwhelm him. What has he done? What if she doesn’t pull through? What if she breaks the promise she made? Images of Melody laying dead in the Deep Roads invade his mind. Clutching his head, he chants no over and over again, until Elissa sets her hands on his shoulders.

“I can’t go back,” Anders whispers, avoiding looking in his Commander’s eyes. He pulls back his left sleeve to show her his skin. “I’m having my calling. It’s my time to die.”

“I found the cure.” Anders looks up quickly, his eyes widening as his gaze meets Elissa’s. She takes his hands in between her own, giving him a look of long-suffering patience. “The meeting Melody was called to was me telling her about the cure. If you stayed, she would have been able to tell you. When she got back to her room, she found your note instead.”

Anders’s knees give out when he thinks of how badly he had hurt Melody, ruining her hope with his cowardice. Elissa braces Anders in her arms before he can collapse. “Isn’t it too late for me? How were you able to beat me here?”

“I went through the woods instead of taking the road.” Elissa pulls a vial out of her pocket, handing it to him. “Won’t know until we try, right?”

“What about you, and Alistair?” Anders looks down at the blue liquid and back up at Elissa, his Commander and Queen. Was he taking the only dose? How could he do that if she and Alistair still needed to be cured? He starts to give it back to her, but Elissa stops him.

“I already took it, and I have more than enough for my husband.” Slipping her arm around Anders’s, she guides him back down the stairs. “Now, bottom’s up.” Elissa flashes him a grin, tapping her foot impatiently.

Anders opens the vial, and drinks the cure all at once. A burning pain radiates from his core, spreading out to his limbs. Anders bellows in pain, collapsing to the ground. Writhing in agony, he can hear nothing but the pounding of his heart. Reaching out to Elissa, he screams once more before blacking out.

 

Returning to the waking world, Anders opens his eyes. The song isn’t in his head any more. He looks down at his arm, hearing someone sniffling and sees Melody cautiously touching the discolored patch of skin. His breath catches when he looks at her face and body. Dark black circles and bags under her eyes, as though she hadn’t slept for a week, and her clothing hanging more loosely on her than he remembers. Has she eaten or slept? 

Anders lays his hand on top of hers, making Melody look up. Tears fill her eyes, and Anders reaches out to her. She crawls into the bed beside him, burying her face into his chest, sobbing. Anders holds her in his arms, rubbing her back trying to comfort her, tears well up in his eyes as relief, worry, and guilt overwhelm him. “I’m so sorry, Melody. I should have stayed. I should have told you the truth.”

“Don’t do that again, don’t leave me. I can’t… I can’t.” Anders tightens his embrace as fresh sobs wrack Melody’s body.

“I won’t, I promise.” Anders kisses the top of Melody’s head, trying to keep himself from losing control of his emotions. Taking deep breaths, he looks down at the woman in his arms. He’ll never make her go through that again. He swears to the Maker and Andraste that he’ll never leave her side again. “I promise you I’ll stay with you for the rest of my life. I love you.”

Melody’s head pops up, and she gazes into his eyes. “I love you too.” Shifting up, Melody kisses Anders, her hands cupping his cheeks, caressing them with her fingers. Anders feels a tingle going up his spine when her lips press against his, goosebumps rising on his arms. Breaking the kiss, Melody smiles at him, and it makes Anders feel as though his heart is soaring, and he is laying on a cloud of blissful peace. Melody rests her head against his chest once more, relaxing in his arms. Anders listens to her breathing even out as she falls asleep. Smiling to himself, his last thought before he joins Melody in sleep is to go to the smith to ask her to make a ring.


End file.
